Vikings Pro Bowler makes a million dollars during Bengals game
Danielle Hunter has been a force for the Minnesota Vikings in 2023 and it's literally resulted in millions of dollars going into his bank account.The three-time Pro Bowler made another million dollars on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals when he recorded 2.0 sacks in the first half. The sacks pushed Hunter's 2023 total to an […]
Danielle Hunter has been a force for the Minnesota Vikings in 2023 and it's literally resulted in millions of dollars going into his bank account.
The three-time Pro Bowler made another million dollars on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals when he recorded 2.0 sacks in the first half. The sacks pushed Hunter's 2023 total to an NFL-leading 15.5. He previously made $2 million in incentives before Saturday's matchup via passing prior sack total milestones.
Hunter and the Vikings were in a tough spot before the season started, as he wanted a pay raise, and rightfully so. He's since given Minnesota a bountiful return-on-investment since the two sides reached an agreement and he's a key staple on Brian Flores' defense.
Where do Hunter and the Vikings go in 2024?
It'll be interesting to see what happens between these two parties once the season is over. Hunter is going to command big dollars in free agency and right now, the Vikings only have upwards of $38 million in 2024 cap space. That's not a terrible place to be in, but the team has 24 pending free agents in 2024, so the cap space will disappear pretty quickly. Especially when considering the cost of the draft class, too.
Hunter is making $17 million in 2023. If he finishes the year as the league's sack leader, then there's no way he's making anything less than that and it's obvious he's going to want a raise. You're probably looking at $20 million per year, at this rate, which is probably out of the Vikings' reach, ultimately.
There's also the Flores factor. He will probably be a head coaching candidate after the season. Would Hunter want to follow him, considering how much success he's having in his defense?
It makes a lot of sense. But as all things with the NFL – only time will tell.
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